I really need some suggestions.. I've been battling acne for about 3.5 years.. And I am only in my teens... Anyways, I've tried differen gel, triaz, benzoil peroxide, retin a micro, biore(wash/nose strips), clearasil face pads (those alcohol pads), minnocyclene(works pretty good, I can tell the difference if I dont wear it), salicic acid formula/solutions(in most acne medicine), and a lot of other stuff. What do you recomend?? My mom has a book on accutaine cause the dermatologist said it usually works for most peoples.... But I heard proactive solution worked good??? have anything to suggest?? Thanks!!!!!!

I feel your pain girl !! I will be 36 next month and I have had acne since I was 14. It sucks!!!! I have been on minocycline (100mg. 2x per day) for a very long time. I also use the differin gel and I wash with a prescription 10% benzol peroxide face wash. I no longer have the acne I had in my teens but I get one or two big cysts that take weeks to go away.. ugh!! The things I take now seem to be keeping them away. I noticed the biggest difference though when i changed my diet back in October. Since then I've been on the south beach diet. It's very healthy and I've eliminated almost all sugar and starches from my diet. Since then I have not had one pimple or cyst. I am not sure if this is just coincidence or if diet really does affect your skin. I am also drinking alot of water now where before I drank alot of coke. I'm sure the water helps alot too. Good luck!!! I hope you find something that works for you. People who don't have this problem just don't know how horrible it is to live with! Of course, none of my sisters have this problem.. just me!! gggrrr!!!!

i've started using dial anti-bacterial soap and it is working...i think you should really try it. also try dabbing some cortizone cream w/ a q-tip on the pimples at night and it will vanish the soreness and if you popped a pimple put the cortizone on it and it will diminish the scar....good luck!

hey anonymous girl, i know how u feel!!!!1 i've had acne for about 5 years now and im only 15! the only thing that worked for me was the acne cure book by dr. dubrow. it's a really good book and it helped me a lot and my acne was really horrible after udsing minocyclin. the success rate is about 95%, and it's all stuff u can buy over the counter. if u want to buy the book, u can find it at any big bookstore or, if u want, i can tell u what the program is. think about it!

Hey! You might want to give ProActiv a shot. I would break out a little ever since I was 13 or something, and then I tried ProActiv when I was 14 and it's been working great ever since. It's the only stuff that has worked for me really at all. And I had tried a lot of products... if your acne is really bad, it might not work for you. It tends to be for people with light to moderate acne.

hi, i just realized that i've had acne for 12 years now, so i definitely know what you're going through! the only topical prescription drug that worked for me was Benzamycin...it took 10 months for my skin to clear up, but after that it worked great. but since i no longer have insurance, i compromised with my prescription costs by chosing birth control pills over the Benz. i've been taking ortho tri-cyclen for about 2.5 years. it really helped to clear up my chest and back acne, but not my face! Grrrr! i have an apointment w/my doc soon, and i have been thinking of changing to Yasmin after reading a lot of posts on this forum. you might want to try these types of pills as they have direct affects on your hormones, and they also help to regulate crazy periods! as for topical, i'm using a system called Klear Action that is a rip off of ProActiv. you can get it at walgreens or sav*on for half the price. i've only been using it for about 3 weeks, though, so i can't testify how great it is yet. but so far it doesn't dry out my skin too badly. i just got a few new breakouts, though. as for accutance, i hear it has a lot of bad side effects, but a lot of people find it is the ultimate cure. you might want to try it as a last resort, though? good luck, let us know your progress!

I do suggest that you try Proactiv. I have had mild and sometimes mild-moderate acne. I have tried many over the counter products and they seem to work initially, but after a few weeks, everything is back again. I have been using Proactiv for about 1 month and I have seem significant change in my skins chemistry and I never get major breakouts n e more. Try it... its worth every penny!!!!! And if you dont like it.. all u have to do is send back the bottles and they will give you you're money back. You have nothing to loose.

hey anonymous girl, i know how u feel!!!!1 i've had acne for about 5 years now and im only 15! the only thing that worked for me was the acne cure book by dr. dubrow. it's a really good book and it helped me a lot and my acne was really horrible after udsing minocyclin. the success rate is about 95%, and it's all stuff u can buy over the counter. if u want to buy the book, u can find it at any big bookstore or, if u want, i can tell u what the program is. think about it!

riverdancer - I just discovered this book and will buy it soon. I'd like you to share what you do. I printed out an article with a condensed version. Did your mom give you the book? I ask because I have a 15 yo too and wondered if she'd actually read it if I bought it. I find it difficult to study all these great ideas and then have her be blah about it. She's virtually clear right now but does experience breakouts. I guess I'd like to know what the maintenance program is.

yea spiro at 100 mgs a day is the best med i have ever takin for acne in my life.its been about 16 months and my face is actually getting dryer and no acne at all or oily skin either.im also eating a lot better too.i swear if i only knew about this drug years ago.i could have saved over 40,000 dollars in money and all the grief.

before resorting to birth-contol, try this. Use pHisoderm Clear Confidence and then follow with Stridex Fruit Therapy. It's the only thing that has worked for me consistently and it's really a cheap "system". This should last you for about 2 months before you'll need to buy more. I used proactiv for about 3 1/2 months and it worked for the first 3 months but then it stopped. I think it stopped because i used it during summer and once i stopped swimming and sunbathing... which will by the way dry out the acne and leave ur skin gorgeous... but neway... i broke out right away after stopping the swimming and stuff. Proactiv works for some and doesn't for others. You altimately would have nothing to lose. So i would consider it. But like i said... Birth control should be used as a last resort. I was only on BC for 3 months and i got a blood clot from my hip all the way to the back of my knee! And some people can't have a baby after using BC. My cousin Roni is a prime example of that one. She is 21 years old and was told she can never have a baby because of something the BC did to her. The complications tho do have alot to do with your genes too. So it could be a good alternative for you... but watch out! Well... i hope my info helped you even a lil!

yea spiro at 100 mgs a day is the best med i have ever takin for acne in my life.its been about 16 months and my face is actually getting dryer and no acne at all or oily skin either.im also eating a lot better too.i swear if i only knew about this drug years ago.i could have saved over 40,000 dollars in money and all the grief.

I really need some suggestions.. I've been battling acne for about 3.5 years.. And I am only in my teens... Anyways, I've tried differen gel, triaz, benzoil peroxide, retin a micro, biore(wash/nose strips), clearasil face pads (those alcohol pads), minnocyclene(works pretty good, I can tell the difference if I dont wear it), salicic acid formula/solutions(in most acne medicine), and a lot of other stuff. What do you recomend?? My mom has a book on accutaine cause the dermatologist said it usually works for most peoples.... But I heard proactive solution worked good??? have anything to suggest?? Thanks!!!!!!

[FONT=Courier New]i had moderate to severe cystic acne for years.. like you i tried everything.. Proactiv worked for about a year for my brother.. doxcycyclne(sp?) is what he uses now.. my husband just discovered he has a 'wheat' and 'wheat gluten' alergy.. since i had tried everything else, i figured what the heck, right..? three weeks as a wheat free person (which is difficult) i had no new pimples forming the way i used to each morning.. as long as i stay away from wheat products, oats, rye, barley, semolina, and additives derived from wheat like 'lake' dyes(candy, mostly.. and those strange bright colored 'drinks'..) MSG and the many MSG cousins I am free.. I also employed the technique of keeping by bangs ULTRA SHORT, and pulling my hair back tightly into a kerchief at night before bed..

i should add that i am a vegetarian(no fish, milk, but a small amount of cheese and egg), i wash with panoxyl by Stiefel Labs. its an OTC wash in bar form. it's pH balanced and soap free.. due to it's strength, i only use it once per day and plain water two or three times during the remainder.. i drink no less than 3 liters of water per day..

i feel i should document this in case anyone else had/has the same symptoms as me.. when i had pimples(oh my, that feels good) they some would start out very tiny, two very tiny little bumps close together; parallel.. one would get bigger all of a sudden, gradually become a cyst, start to and then ultimatley heal.. just after this happened, the other 'little' bump would follow the same path.. this happened most frequently.. some cysts, the kind which would take months to heal, would come out overnight, stay painful for 1-2 weeks then heal slowly to become a nasty, indented, purple scar.. sorry for that, but if one person out there has these symptoms i hope i can rescue them from the pain i know all too well..

to help with scars, i am very interested in "Obagi Blue" Masks/treatments.. but i am poor right now, so i will have to save up for them(between$200-$500? i will check).. can anyone say yay or nay to this...?

this is the best i can offer you, dear.. just know that someday you WILL find your personal cure!